STF Justice Flávio Dino Takes Over Investigation Into 'Dark Horse' Film Funding

Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino has assumed supervision of a São Paulo Civil Police investigation into whether public funds were diverted to finance 'Dark Horse', a biographical film about former President Jair Bolsonaro. The investigation centers on Karina Ferreira da Gama, who leads both the film's production company, Go Up Entertainment, and the Instituto Conhecer Brasil (ICB). The ICB received millions of reais from the São Paulo city government under the administration of Mayor Ricardo Nunes to install free Wi-Fi points in low income communities. Police suspect that resources from this municipal contract may have been used to fund the movie production. Justice Dino also authorized the production of financial reports from the Council for Financial Activities Control (Coaf) regarding the production company, the ICB, and Karina da Gama, after a São Paulo judge had previously denied or delayed such requests. The investigation reveals a discrepancy in the Wi-Fi project, with police estimating that 69 million reais were transferred to the ICB while only 43 million reais in services were actually performed. Mayor Ricardo Nunes has denied any irregularities, stating the contract followed legal principles of transparency and economicity. Additionally, forensic reports indicate that 27 electronic devices seized during a June operation were not sealed correctly, potentially compromising the chain of custody. The defense for Karina da Gama maintains that no illegal acts were committed and welcomes the transparency of the proceedings.